SPACE is not the final frontier.  It is has become almost something tangible, like a commodity, a thing or a concept.

Regardless of economic conditions, in this consumer age, we have more, gather more and store more.  We need more space to keep things, books, CDs, DVDs, files, photograph albums and other archive items.

On a personal level, we have more paperwork and things to deal with than ever before.  For those of us who work from home and have a room dedicated as office or study, storage and filing is an especially important issue.

How to deal the ever mounting pile of things that fill our table tops, shelves and mantelpieces?

Rule one, ask yourself: do I really need it?  Yes, it can be hard, but the path to effective and efficient home storage is to expunge the clutter.  Recycle, sell, donate or trash those unwanted items.  Do you really need those Go West cassettes that have been gathering dust in the back bedroom cupboard.  Come to think of it does anybody want them?

Also there will inevitably be a collection of odd bits and pieces (usually plastic or metal) which you can’t quite remember why you have.  They may will be the remains of long gone items or probably still there “just in case” you need them.

There’s only one solution: Get rid!
Once you’ve waved goodbye to the junk, how best to organise what’s left?  Start by categorising by room, e.g. putting kitchen items together, or sorting out what could go in the bedroom, dining room, etc.  A utility room or out-house is useful for keeping tools, garden equipment, etc.

Plastic storage boxes, available from many high street stores, are great for storing items, free from dust and moisture, and can be stacked neatly up and labelled.